Page 90 of Riot Rules
Sweetheart? Well, doesn’tthatfeel warm and fuzzy? Even his terms of endearment fit nicely. They’re inoffensive. Comfortable. Like putting on a well-worn favorite sweater. Dash’s nicknames for me felt like a tight, slinky silk dress—good to try on for size, but they were never comfortable. They made me feel…electrified. It was a sensation I always craved, but isn’t it the case that our addictions are never good for us? I mean, when is being electrocuted ever a good thing?
“I did find this cute little hessian sack at the store, but they didn’t have it in my size,” I tell Andre, pretending to pout.
He plays along. “Damn shame. Hessian sacks are itchy, sure, but they’re really fucking cute.”
He kisses me again, and his mouth tastes like butterscotch, so,sosweet. God, everything about him is sweet.
We dance. Andre holds me, arms wrapped tight around me, and I can’t imagine what this would have felt like with Dash. Dancing didn’t seem like an activity he’d be caught dead doing. A loud romper stomper of a song comes on, and we bounce around like idiots, laughing, trading kisses and sips of our drinks as we jostle for space on the dance floor. Andre takes my hand and pulls me from the dance floor. “Come on. Let’s find somewhere to take a breather—"
My phone buzzes in my back pocket as he leads me outside. I’m going to silence it—I want to spend tonight enjoying myself with Andre, not scrolling through Instagram notifications—but then I see the name on the screen and the smile slips from my face.
Ashley’s Emporium Bridal…
The name is cut off, but I recognize the business: Alderman’s latest sham company for his burner phone. We’re outside now. Andre’s successfully guided me out into the freezing night air without letting me walk into anyone. He tugs his beanie from his head and gently puts it on me, tucking my curls out of my face. “There,” he says. “Don’t want you catching cold.”
I wince down at my cellphone, and Andre notices for the first time that the screen is lit up with an incoming call. “Oh damn. Do you need to get that?”
I cringe. “Kinda.” Alderman never calls unless it’s important. Screening him would be a dumb idea.
Andre isn’t fazed in the slightest. He kisses my forehead quickly and begins to walk back to the house. “No worries. Take your time. I’ll grab us some more drinks.”
“Thank you.” He really is perfect. The second the front door’s closed behind him, I pick up. “Hey. What’s up?”
Alderman’s voice is business-like and as cool as ever. “Where are you?” Straight to the point. The man’s never been good at small talk.
“I’m at a party. With my friends. And a boy. And I’ve had four beers, too.” Once one truth pops out, there’s no stopping the others. They keep on coming, one after another. I should have cushioned the blow somehow, spaced it out instead of flaunting the fact that I’ve completely lost my goddamn mind and brokenallof his rules, but what’s done is done.
I grit my teeth, waiting for the shouting to start…but then again, I should know better. Alderman doesn’t shout. That’s just not who he is. He gets quiet. Serious. Disappointed.
“Okay. Having fun?”
I blink, relaxing my shoulders. Wait. He doesn’t sound quiet, serious or disappointed. He sounds…amused? “Yes?” My guardian isn’t the type for jokes. If he’s trying to lull me into a false sense of security before he brings the axe down, telling me I’ll have to be on the first flight back to Seattle in the morning, then this is a cruel attempt at humor. “Are you…okay?”
“I’m fine. I just thought I’d call to give you some good news.”
“Good news?”
“As you know, I have family in Grove Hill. That’s why I was there that night,” he says. “When I found you on the side of the road.”
I frown, trying to preempt what he’s going to say next. “Right?”
“There are things I haven’t told you, Carrie. Things that’ll take too long to explain over the phone. But one of my family members there is a man of considerable power and wealth. He’s not aniceperson, but that’s beside the point. He’s important. He and I do not see eye-to-eye. I’ve been working on him for a long time now, trying to get him to do me this one favor—”
For some reason, my heart’s pounding. It makes no sense. Nothing he’s saying should be making me anxious, and yet my whole body is shaking. “God, can you spit it out, Alderman? I’m freaking out over here. Is this about…is it about…”
Kevin.
The man I killed.
The crime I cannot escape.
I can’t even say his name out loud.
“Yes, it’s about what happened,” Alderman confirms. “I’ll cut to the chase. I didn’t think I was going to be able to get this man, my uncle, to help me in clearing your name. But certain events have altered his circumstances recently. I dug up a few pieces of choice information that helped him see how beneficial it would be to him, personally, if he were to make it his business to clear your name.”
“I don’t…understand. I mean…how could he clear my name?”
“When I say he’s important, I mean he’s very important. He’s the governor of Alabama. He oversees the entire state police department. It was within his power to pardon you and have all mention of Kevin Winthrope’s name expunged from your file. He just wouldn’t do it because he’s an evil son of a bitch. I’ve changed his mind, though. Finally. Only took me six years, but—”
